Peter Sagan Comes To Rome And Gives A Rainbow Jersey And Custom Venge Bicycle To The Pontiff

January 29, 2018 15:06

The Pope just got a new bicycle. Will he take it for a test ride?

Peter Sagan’s time with the Pope

As part of his trip to Rome, Peter Sagan gave the Pope Francis a bicycle and jersey.

Watch @petosagan present Pope Francis with his World Champion jersey and a custom Venge → https://t.co/b0pMPqacSD pic.twitter.com/AmYVmS2bUO

— Specialized (@iamspecialized) January 24, 2018

The meeting occurred after the Pope’s weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square. Volkswagen Italy and Ermanno Leonardi facilitated the meeting.

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Sagan presented the Argentinian Pope with a custom specialized Venge in the white and yellow colors. It had the Pope’s Italian name, ‘Francesco’, conspicuously inscribed on it and the Vatican coat of arms adorned on it as well.

It was really hot at the @tourdownunder but the Bodyfit Pro Light Jersey from @Sportful did an excellent job. It's perfect for the hottest conditions when maximum breathability is needed! (Photos @Dario_beli / @bettiniphoto) pic.twitter.com/U4nuP91fDY

— Peter Sagan (@petosagan) January 24, 2018

Sagan’s achievements in cycling

Peter Sagan, the 27-year-old Slovak, is a three-time world cycling champion.

Although Sagan was kicked off the Tour de France for elbowing a British cyclist last year, he has claimed the Tour de France green points jersey five times.

This month, Peter celebrated his win, crossing the finish line of the 2018 Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Australia.

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Other cyclists who have visited the Vatican bearing gifts

Peter Sagan follows a tradition of cyclists who have visited Rome and met with the Pope. A few of these riders and teams include:

Marco Pantani and Mario Cipollini, who met with the Pope at the start of the Giro d’Italia in 2000.
Eddy Merckx and team Amore e Vita have also been on record to have paid a visit to the Vatican.
Ernesto Colnago gave a gold bike to Pope John Paul II. He also gifted Pope Francis a specially designed edition in 2016.

Pope Francis has been credited to be a very simple man from his days before becoming the head of Catholics. Therefore, it is probable that we just might catch sight of him riding past the streets of Rome on his new bicycle.

So, what do you think? Will he ride his new bike? Or is he just going to keep it as a trophy somewhere?